Liturgical Year

Demon Returns with Seven Worse Demons

DVRodriguez2025-03-31T09:06:18-04:00

With his characteristic brilliance and insight, Father explains one of the most confusing gospels (Lk 11:14-28). The dumb and deaf man can't hear God's word or praise God, representing Adam and all his offspring born in sin. The strong man is satan. Christ overcomes him. The Jewish people represent the cleansed man. Waterless places are the Gentile lands whom Christ has won. The demon returns to the Jews. Their home is clean but no one dwells there, meaning the religion is one of pure externals and hypocrisy. Thus the devil abides there with seven worse demons. This has been the Jews' [...]

Demon Returns with Seven Worse DemonsDVRodriguez2025-03-31T09:06:18-04:00

Christ Elevates Marriage to a Sacrament

DVRodriguez2025-03-30T13:26:07-04:00

God created marriage. At Cana, He elevated it to the level of a sacrament. Just as Christ was present at Cana, so He is present in every sacramental marriage. We should invite Our Lady to our marriage. Mary took note of the couples humiliating situation, interceded, and turned it to great joy. From water used for purification, Christ created a superabundance of the most exquisite wine, representing sacramental grace. Just as His disciples believed, so spouses should trust in Christ and His grace. What is a good reason for people to enter marriage? What should spouses do first thing in the [...]

Christ Elevates Marriage to a SacramentDVRodriguez2025-03-30T13:26:07-04:00

Help Us O God Our Savior

DVRodriguez2025-03-29T23:06:10-04:00

Year after year goes by and we don’t really live a conversion. This is because it is not easy to change our heart, intellect or will. We need God’s grace and we must never tie of praying for it. We sin because we don’t see supernatural realities. We fail to see the evil of mortal sin, the horrendous fires of hell, the beauty of Heaven, or Christ dying for us at Mass. Like the blind beggar, pray “Have mercy on me,” and beg “Lord, that I may see.” Make a serious effort this Lent to commit yourself to prayer, fasting and [...]

Help Us O God Our SaviorDVRodriguez2025-03-29T23:06:10-04:00

Understanding the Transfiguration

DVRodriguez2025-03-24T12:42:59-04:00

We can learn many lessons for the spiritual life by studying precious details within the mystery of the Transfiguration. Why did Our Lord select the three particular Apostles to accompany Him? Why did Moses and Elijah appear with Him? Why does Peter suggest building three tents? How is it all connected to the central mystery of Christ's identity and mission?

Understanding the TransfigurationDVRodriguez2025-03-24T12:42:59-04:00

Duty and Peace in the Family

DVRodriguez2025-03-24T17:45:11-04:00

Marriage is under attack: its roles reversed, ends inverted, and duties abandoned. We must look to the Holy Family. The man has authority and must make difficult decisions for the good of the family. He provides, protects and leads prayers. The woman must embrace [monotonous] house work, support and obey her husband, and guide the children. Children must obey, be respectful, and ease the family’s burdens. (Obedience does have limits; it may never violate God’s law.) Pray for the light and grace to imitate the Holy Family. The Reign of Christ spreads in the world through true families.

Duty and Peace in the FamilyDVRodriguez2025-03-24T17:45:11-04:00

The Key of Divine Treasures

DVRodriguez2025-03-23T10:13:19-04:00

God’s grace is absolutely necessary to perform any good work towards obtaining eternal life. The ordinary means for obtaining this grace is prayer. In general, God only gives His grace to those who ask for it and are disposed to receive it. Through the prayers selected for Lent, the Church is teaching us how to pray and prayer's great value. In prayer one 'sets himself apart' so as to be with God. The goal of prayer is to transform the heart and mind (conversion). By prayer, one offers his heart and mind to God.

The Key of Divine TreasuresDVRodriguez2025-03-23T10:13:19-04:00

We Have to Persevere

DVRodriguez2025-03-24T17:47:06-04:00

God calls us to conversion (a change of heart, intellect, and will). This conversion is not easy. We absolutely need God’s grace. One also needs to have faith and to do penance (prayer, fasting, almsgiving). All this comes from grace; so one must ask for these graces and continue to ask. The great and mysterious work of the Holy Ghost is to sanctify men’s souls via divine grace. He shows us what is good and virtuous. He strengthens us to do the good and avoid evil. Don’t let up asking for His help during Lent!

We Have to PersevereDVRodriguez2025-03-24T17:47:06-04:00

Our Lady of Sorrows and the Passion – Prayer

DVR Fatima2025-03-12T11:18:24-04:00

The prayer from the sermon 'Crux Fidelis' given on February 21, 2021 Holy Mary, Mother of sorrows, whose heart was pierced with a fresh sword of grief at every Station on the Way of the Cross, obtain for us, we beseech thee, O most loving Mother, a perpetual remembrance of our Blessed Savior’s cross and death, and a true and tender devotion to all the mysteries of His most holy Passion.Obtain for us the grace to hate sin, even as He hated it in the Agony of the Garden; to endure wrong and insult with all patience, as He endured them [...]

Our Lady of Sorrows and the Passion – PrayerDVR Fatima2025-03-12T11:18:24-04:00

Warfare is in Temptation

DVRodriguez2025-03-11T20:56:01-04:00

The Spirit leads Jesus into the desert to be tempted. The devil always attacks us at our weakest point, where we lack support. He tempts our Lord to satisfy his natural (bodily) needs with illegitimate means. The context of Jesus' scriptural rebuttal is the manna from Exodus, and hence highly Eucharistic. The devil then tempts Jesus with pride and avarice. satan wants to be worshiped as if he were God. This is the root of temptation, by which our first parents fell, the desire to "be like God." Yet Jesus strongly rebukes satan him for violating God's honor. Man should only [...]

Warfare is in TemptationDVRodriguez2025-03-11T20:56:01-04:00

The Two Ends of Marriage

DVRodriguez2025-03-11T09:39:09-04:00

The primary end of marriage is to "increase and multiply" (Gn 1:28). God wants souls with which to share His goodness – Himself – for all eternity. Parents are 'stewards' of their children with the duty for help children reach the perfection God has planned for them (think of the parable of the talents). The secondary end is mutual help and the quelling of passion (Gn 2:18,23). Marriage demands a man and woman who are open to all the children God wishes to give them. They must be ready to die for their vocation, and not be motivated by self-interest or [...]

The Two Ends of MarriageDVRodriguez2025-03-11T09:39:09-04:00